Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-12
PROHIBITION.
What the Newspapers of the State Say
OF the Contest in Texas Over
Alcohol and Malt.
Arguments Pro and Arguments Con Which
Are Favored With the Usual Jour
naIistic Condiments.

lie plauSlDlY Wnen Cney nave TO resort IC
that method of warfare. The clumsy lie
is q thing repulsiye IN appearance, fOI
which there is no kind Of excuse. Now
this tale about the Republican leaders Ct
the north encouraging prohibition in the
south, in order to break up the Demo
cratic party, is without the least attraC-
ton OF plausi5ility. The effect of prohi-
bitiOn so far as 1t has had an effect on ma
tiOnal politics, has been entirely against
the Republican party and in favor OF
the Democrats. It was the Republi-
can votes cast for st. John in New
York that gave Cleveland his plurality
of 1870 in that state and elected him. It
is to the interest of the Republican party,
more than TO any other, to have an end to
prohibition contests. By encouraging and
strengthening the Prohibitionists in the
south they keep up the fire of excitement
in the north, where it is fatal to them.
Such men as Blaine and Sherman are not
blind to this truth. Their wisdom is not
so shortsighted as to build up party
that will eventually overthrow them in
their own stronghold. The managers of
the whisky campaign should put more
brains into their literary bureau Fort
Worth Mail.
If the object of the so-called prohibit
ion amendment is to deliver the people
by law from temptation, it will not &C
complish the end intended. Neither the
Bible or religion should be logged into
politics, for the people recognize the
wisdom OF keeping entirely distinct
church and state. The fact that Adam
was not forced to restrain from eating the
forbidden fruit, but was left to the in
fuenCe of his conscience and the exercise
OF entire Individual freedom TO eat or not
eat, furnishes q morsel of food for re6ec-
ton. Christ taught virtue andl eniOined
upon his followers that they lead good
temperate lives, but he did not annihilate
evil or say that force should be used to
make them do as he commanded. Good
and evil was placed before each to choose
for himself. The freedom of concience
and liberty of thought were not abridg-
ed Marshall Herald.
~
The Dallas convention took all the
partisan backbone out of anti-pr0hibitiOn.
They not only declared prohibition to be
'sundemocratic and anti-republicsn," but
the executive committee is half and half,
not only in politics but in color. This is
noted as credita0le to the managers of
the anti-prohibition side, because it
makes a square and honest fight on the
true issues of the campaign, without any
lodging or hedging.-[ Waco Day.
The principle of prohibition is an invs-
sion of the right of f-gOVernment. Per
sonsl liberty is the germ from which
springs ali liberties-civil, political and
religiouS-and when it is destroyed they
TiGb viii
instituted among free men TO preserve and
protect the individual IN the eDjOym9nt of
the in8heuable rights with which he
is endowed by his creator against
encroachment by his fellow man;
the rightful domain of government
being 70 decide all controversies involv-
ing TWO or more and eLfOrce that de-
CisiGn. If, however, every man is to be
his own judge in controversies with
others, each will decide in mis- own favor
and enforce his decision, resulting in
contention and violence, and perhaps
blOOd-shed. In such a condition of
society, civilization must neCessari
perish. Government is there fOre neCes-
sary to preserve liberty, and u does ii Dy
exercising the powers with which it
Is clothed-by protecting the rights
of individuals from InvasiOns from all
quarters. If, instesd of protecting each
individual IN the enjoyment Of personal
self-gOvernment, it uses the power with
which it is invested TO invade that right,
it strikes at that liberty that is created
to guard and defend. Our fathers, when
they declared their independence of the
mother country, set forth in that deClara-
ton, the only basis on which free govern
ment could be preserved, and that
was "just power" comes from
the consent of the governed, and
when the federal and state constitutions
were made they erected the whole system
upon that declared truth. Now, who are
the governed from whom the governing
power comes? The federal constitution
contains the powers granted by the peo-
pie of all the states to be exercised upon
them. Should any of the laws prove OPP
pressive they have at hand full and
ready remedy; the same power
that created the law can either
alter, amend, reform or abolish it.
If a majority of the people have right
TO say man shall not drink whisky, they
also have a right to forbid his eating
meats or wearing clothing. 1t is true
that 8 large number of our best people
favor prohibition, but that does not prove
L0aG IL is IlSuI. lney Oil Cldlm L0dS G06y
are trying to advance public morality,
but morality does not go over the
back nor down the throat, but
through" the mind, heart and con-
science, and the high state of our
civilization and morality to-day is the
product of free mind, free conscience
and free man. Self government is the
shibboleth of free government, and no
government is just, or right, or free that
does not stand on the consent of the gov
erned alone. The invasion of this right
has filed the world with suffering and
affection in all ages of which we have any
historic account Brennan Banner.
X
Expression of fear that the vote on the
pending prohibition amendment will be
light come from both sides to the contest.
Singular as it may appear, each side
seems to think that a small turnout of
the sovereigns would operate adversely to
itself. The Post is unable to decide as
to the correctness of such opinions, but
feels quite sure that there is no good